‘Controversial’ art exhibition features pictures of the INSIDE of homes in Cambridge – taken from the street without the owner’s consent

A photographer has attracted controversy for a public exhibition that features pictures of the inside of people’s homes – taken without asking their permission.

Alara Bailey, a former Cambridge School of Art student, photographed the sitting rooms of about 200 houses in Cambridge before putting some of them on display at William’s Gallery in an exhibition dubbed “controversial” by the city’s MP.

The 22-year-old artist insists she is not breaking the law because the pictures were taken from public land and only capture what passers-by can see every day - adding a lack of net curtains is “kind of inviting you to look into their house”.

However, a top privacy barrister has told the News that the legal position is not straightforward.

The pictures show the front rooms of homes across Cambridge with furniture, books and other personal possessions on view, as well as the back of an elderly lady by her back door.

The photographer, a sales assistant from London, told the News: “Whenever people walk down the street they don’t feel bad about looking into people’s houses – we all do it, and this is no different.

“There’s only one person in the pictures – it was more about seeing the inside of the house and seeing the interior spaces people live in than the people themselves.”

She added: “These are windows that look right onto streets and pavements, so people can see what they see in my photographs through the actual windows. By having no net curtains, they’re kind of inviting you to look into their house.”

A mother-of-one, who lives off Mill Road, believes some of the pictures breach privacy, saying she would be “very unhappy” if her daughter was visible.

The 41-year-old, who did not want to be named, added: “I just thought that this elderly lady is going about her everyday life and does she really want someone taking pictures of the back of her head in her own house and then have someone enlarging it and showing it off to the world?

“If the media had been taking pictures of someone’s front room, say of a politician, everyone would be up in arms, but because it’s in the name of art, it’s all fine because we’re living in bohemian Cambridge.”

However, Becky Cornish, who lives near East Road in Cambridge and had her house pictured as part of the exhibition, was not bothered.

She said: “As an art work, I have no objections to someone taking an image of my house. If I had a problem with people looking in I would put net curtains up or some sort of barrier.”

Julian Huppert, Cambridge MP, who described the artist as “extremely talented”, added: “Clearly her photographs which form the Looking In display reveal only what would be visible to a passer-by, but they are controversial.

Some people might feel that her pictures are intrusive and she should be mindful of this and respect the right to privacy.”

Kevin Blencowe, a Labour councillor in Petersfield, believes the artist should have asked permission saying some will not want their living rooms “put on display”.

Christina Michalos, a media law barrister at 5RB and author of The Law of Photography & Digital Images, said asking for permission would be the safest strategy.

She said: “A man’s home is his castle and the very definition of a private place. Publishing an unauthorised photograph of the interior of a home, even if it can be seen from the road, could lead to a privacy claim.

“It would depend on whether the location or people were identifiable and whether anything personal was shown.

“There is also a big difference between a few passers seeing something and introducing a photograph of it to massive new audience – whether on a front page or in a gallery.

“It’s not a straightforward question legally and obtaining the relevant consent afterwards would be the safest course for a photographer.”

Chris Williams, who runs the gallery in Gwydir Street, said her work was done in a “tasteful and nice rather than nasty way”.

He added: “She was very careful about how she approached this. She did it from the street and if people did not want others to see into their houses they would draw the curtains.